"[16], Epictetus maintains that the foundation of all philosophy is self-knowledge, that is, the conviction of our ignorance and gullibility ought to be the first subject of our study. When he is hampered or prevented, he blames himself. Aulus Gellius (c.125–c.165) reports that one of Marcus Aurelius’ teachers, Herodes Atticus (c.101–177), considered Epictetus to be ‘the greatest of Stoics’ (Attic Nights 1.2.6). See apoproêgmena. ‘excellence’ or virtue; in the context of Stoic ethics the possession of ‘moral excellence’ will secure eudaimonia. Boter; see also Discourses 1.4.13–17, 1.18.21–3, 1.24.1–2 and 3.25.3). (Discourses 2.18.24–5, trans. (Hamlet: Act 2, Scene 2), and John Milton's "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. "[38], We will not be troubled at any loss, but will say to ourselves on such an occasion: "I have lost nothing that belongs to me; it was not something of mine that was torn from me, but something that was not in my power has left me." ed. [71] When he was shot down, he reportedly said to himself "I'm leaving the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus!" For, just as Socrates used to say that we are not to lead an unexamined life [see Plato, Apology 38a], so neither are we to accept an unexamined impression, but to say, ‘Stop, let me see what you are, and where you come from’, just as the night-watch say, ‘Show me your token.’ (Discourses 3.12.14–15, trans. A very nicely done translation of this significant nineteenth-century work first published in 1894. Hellenistic Philosophy of Mind. Further, we must remember who we are, and by what name we are called, and must try to direct our acts [kathêkonta] to fit each situation and its possibilities. One can see the influence that youth enslavement undoubtedly had on the philosophy of Epictetus. One mustn’t judge hastily, rather one should examine the situation, become aware of what is occurring, and judge only after some reflection. A philosopher was one who strove to master the art of living, and for the Stoics this was analogous to mastery of one’s mind. His teachings were written down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses and Enchiridion. Nero was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus in December 37 c.e.…, Lucius Septimius Severus (146-211) was a Roman emperor. In my opinion no man has had a more profitable difficulty than you have had, if you choose to make use of it as an athlete would deal with a young antagonist. Resources at our disposal include just a handful of references in the ancient texts, to which we can add the few allusions that Epictetus makes to his own life in the Discourses. Amor Fati. In the meantime came Cyrus to beg one farthing of him for the honour of Mercury, therewith to buy a few onions for his supper. Epictetus believes in the Stoic philosophy with emphasis in metaphysics, religion, and practicality. As a boy he somehow came to Rome as a slave of Epaphroditus who was a rich and po… Herein lies our power to judge and experience a seemingly-negative situation in a positive or indifferent manner. This applies to philosophic training no less than to training as a wrestler in preparation for competing in the Olympic games (see Discourses 3.15.1–13 = Handbook 29). At Discourses 2.5.2, in encouraging his students to appreciate that external things are indifferent (being neither good nor bad), Epictetus says that we should imitate those who play dice, for neither the dice nor the counters have any real value; what matters, and what is either good or bad, is the way we play the game. Antium, Italy And if anyone compliments him, he smiles to himself at the person complimenting; while if anyone censures him, he makes no defence. And drink good wine both white and brown, [14], His most famous pupil, Arrian, studied under him as a young man (ca. Epictetus suggested that we start off small. Hard), The whole thrust of Stoic ethics aims to persuade us that we should ourselves contribute to the festival by living as well as we may and fulfilling our duties as sociable citizens of God’s ‘great city of the universe’ (Discourses 3.22.4, trans. ‘That lies outside the sphere of the moral purpose, it is not an evil.’ Caesar has condemned him. (See also Discourses 4.7.5/19/30–1.) ." Matheson; see also 1.9.24 and 1.16.20–1). Our capacity to flourish and be happy (to attain eudaimonia) is entirely dependent upon our own characters, how we dispose ourselves to ourselves, to others, and to events generally. Italian emperor The Stoics use the analogy of the archer shooting at a target to explain this notion. In this metaphor, the wool that the weaver uses to make cloth takes the place of the ball in the game; that is, whatever material comes our way, it is our duty to make proper use of it, and if possible make it into the best thing of its kind as we can (see Discourses 2.5.21–2). In this extract about going to the baths, Epictetus focuses more on accepting what fate brings, saying that we should anticipate the sorts of things that can happen, so that when they do we will not be surprised and will not be angry. We have already seen, when discussing the Discipline of Action, that Epictetus urges us to ‘remember who we are’ and what ‘name’ we have, because what role we play in life will determine which actions are appropriate for us. World Eras. □. Keeping ourselves in harmony with nature requires that we focus on two things. Aurelius quotes from Epictetus repeatedly in his own work, Meditations, written during his campaigns in central Europe. For as humans we have a unique power – we can create misery or joy independent of our surroundings. Epictetus (ca. To have an impression is to be aware of something in the world. Long). 16 Oct. 2020 . Although we may take precautions, whether our possessions are carried off by a thief is not up us (but the intention to steal, that of course is in the power of the thief), and our reputations, in whatever quarter, must be decided by what other people think of us, and what they do think is up to them. In the midst of all this, only the rare few are blessed with lasting and rewarding relationships, and even these relationships, along with everything that constitutes a human life, are wholly transient. Our apologies, you must be logged in to post a comment. Although things such as material comfort, for instance, will be pursued by the Stoic student who seeks eudaimonia, they will do this in a different way from those not living the ‘philosophic life’ – for Stoics claim that everything apart from virtue (what is good) and vice (what is bad) is indifferent, that is, ‘indifferent’ with regard to being good or bad. © 2020 Classical Wisdom Limited. Such training is difficult, demanding, and unpleasant; there is little point in showing eagerness for any endeavour if we have not properly assessed the demands that will be placed upon us, and in inevitably losing our original enthusiasm we will look foolish. As a boy he somehow came to Rome as a slave of Epaphroditus who was a rich and powerful freedman, having himself been a slave of the Emperor Nero (he had been an administrative secretary). (Discourses 1.12.7–9, trans. But He who gave also takes away. w. j. oates (New York 1940). [33], The determination between what is good and what is not good is made by the capacity for choice (prohairesis).

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